Tell Me the Truth (or don't)
by Ink Dove
Summary: Does a half truth count as a lie? What about when you think you're telling the truth, but you're really lying? Or vice versa? Five lies and one truth, or one lie and five truths, depending on how you look at it.


**_A/N:_** _I've been wanting to write a Shadaze oneshot for awhile now, but I haven't had much inspiration. So I decided to google random prompts, and came across one that was something like 'write four truths about yourself and one lie and show it to a friend to see if they can pick out the lie'. I thought it would be really fun to write a story incorporating that, but when I thought about it, I couldn't really think of how to go about it. I've also been wanting to write one of those 5 + 1 stories, but again, no inspiration. So I decided, 'why not combine them?' When I sat down to write, though, I realized I had more ideas for 'lies' than truths, so I decided to do 5 lies and 1 truth and let the reader try and pick out which one he/she thinks is the truth. I tried to write it so that it wouldn't be too obvious (or hard), but I also wanted it so that each one could be seen as either a truth or a lie, depending on how you look at it. So, let me know which one you think is the truth/lie, and which one you think I intended it to be (or if you think they're all truths, or all lies). Constructive criticism is always welcome!_

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i

"Shadow?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your favorite color?" She looked at him curiously, eyes bright and playful and burning gold. He didn't answer right away, and she shifted her gaze back to the path ahead, as if she didn't expect him to.

He continued looking at her though, watching the wind play with her lavender ponytail and violet coat. The evening sun cast shadows across her white muzzle and reflected in her gold necklace. He took a deep breath to answer her, the word 'red' resting on the tip of his tongue. But he found himself hesitating, so he decided to look ahead and leave her question unanswered.

"Shadow?" she asked again after several moments of silence.

"Hmm?" he replied, as if he hadn't heard her the first time.

She looked up at him and smiled patiently, seemingly unconcerned by his lack of attention. Her tail swished lazily behind her, the dark, purple tip brushing briefly against his leg. "What's your favorite color?"

Her gold eyes bore into his, piercing straight to his soul with their fiery intensity.

"Red," he answered firmly, and fixed his gaze ahead. The slight strain in his voice was the only thing that betrayed his hesitation.

ii

Blaze was a proud person by nature. She never ran away from anything. Ever. Not the dangerous, not the life threatening, and certainly not the awkward. Part of it was bravery that made her stay rooted in her spot. Part of it was curiosity, because she wanted to see what his reaction would be. But if she was being honest with herself, most of it was pride; because she didn't want it to be known that Blaze the Cat ran away, like a coward, because of a kiss.

Her resolve may have been faltering, her face may have been red enough to burst into flames, but she refused to budge. She had kissed him without warning, and now stood barely an inch away, refusing to move but also refusing to look at him. Their chests brushed when they breathed, and she was sure he would have blisters as soon as he stepped away from her. But neither budged.

She wondered if he was too prideful to be the first one to move, too. Or if he was waiting calmly for an explanation. Or if maybe, just maybe, he was waiting for her to kiss him again. No, she reasoned, that would be absolutely ridiculous. Shadow the Hedgehog, wanting her to kiss him? Absolutely not.

She decided, though, that if he asked, she would tell him the truth. Because Blaze the Cat didn't run away from anything. Ever.

His fingers brushed her chin and she forced herself not to flinch. His grip was firm but far from harsh when he turned her face toward his. The way she held his intense gaze instead of bolting for the hills would go down as one of her proudest victories.

"Blaze," he finally murmured. "What was that?" She opened her mouth to speak, but found no words. His grip was light, but his gaze was heated.

Her resolve crumbled, but she refused to let her composure do the same. She'd told herself that she would tell him the truth, because Blaze the Cat didn't run away from anything. Ever. Not the dangerous, not the life threatening, and certainly not the awkward.

"Just a kiss," she said lightly, and stepped away. "It didn't mean anything."

iii

He'd never seen her in a dress before. It was rather unsettling, really. If he was being honest, he wasn't entirely sure it fit her. But even so, he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her.

She was across the room, talking to some professor that was absolutely fascinated by her ability to control fire. She smiled patiently, radiantly, and listened to his expressive babble. He found it rather amusing, and was so caught up in watching her that he didn't hear Sonic approach until he was breathing in his ear.

A smirk stretched across the blue hedgehog's muzzle and he winked lazily, letting his eyes wander across Blaze's dress. "Never seen her in a dress before, have you, Shads?" Shadow narrowed his eyes but ignored him and shifted his gaze to the wall. Sonic's grin just widened as he sidled closer. "I haven't either," he whispered. "But wouldn't you say she looks absolutely... _delectable_?"

Shadow scoffed and shoved the speedster away, hard enough that he stumbled. "Shut up, faker. She looks ridiculous." His words were harsh but they only seemed to amuse Sonic more, causing him to grin fiendishly.

"Come on, Shads. You know you think she's beautiful." He leaned casually against the wall and winked knowingly. "You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me."

Shadow fixed him with a glare that could murder thousands, but he didn't say anything. He didn't have to, though; even silence could speak louder than words. And his sure said a lot.

iv

"Hey Blaze?"

"What is it, Amy?"

"Are you in love with Shadow?"

Blaze thought about it for a moment. Was she? She knew she was attracted to him, but she didn't know whether or not she was in _love_ with him. How was she supposed to know, anyway? Would she just _feel_ it? Or would there be a message in the sky for her, telling her she was in love? She cared deeply for him, but she didn't get that bubbly feeling in her chest that Amy always said she got anytime Sonic was near.

As far as that went, was there a difference between loving someone and being _in_ love with them? Blaze may not have felt 'butterflies' in her stomach like Amy said she would, but she always felt protective of him whenever they were fighting Eggman. And a little... concerned whenever he went on his missions for G.U.N.

Whatever it was she felt for Shadow, though, it wasn't like one of Amy's romance novels. It was deeper than that.

"No Amy," she said decidedly. "I'm not in love with Shadow." She swallowed the lump in her throat.

v

She didn't cry, but he didn't expect her to. He may have broken her heart, but he hadn't broken her spirit. If anything, he was the one near tears. Because he was immortal, and she was not. He loved her, but he refused to date someone that would grow old and die while he stayed young and lived forever. She loved him too, but she would move on.

"What if you could become mortal? Between the Chaos Emeralds, the Master Emeralds, and the Sol Emeralds, I'm sure we could find a way..." She wouldn't give up without a fight, though, he had to give her that.

"No." He loved her, but he'd made a promise to someone that he'd loved just as much. Protecting his planet and giving the people a chance to be happy was something he intended to do for eternity. Mortals were fragile, they needed someone to protect them. And if he grew old and died, who would take up that mantle?

"What if... there was a way for a mortal to gain immortality?" Her persistence was one of the things he loved about her, but he wished she would just leave it be. If she kept pushing, he would cave.

"No. I don't want anyone else to be subjected to an endless life with no way out. I don't want anyone else to have to watch their friends grow old and die while they stay young and live forever."

She was the princess of an entire world, but like her parents before her, there would be another after. Sonic was the hero of Mobius, but even with his speed, he couldn't outrun time. Someone else had to fill the role eventually. Shadow was the Ultimate Life-form. There were none before, and there would be none after. He'd made a promise, and promises weren't meant to be broken.

vi

"Are we a couple?" The words are out of her mouth before she can stop herself, and she almost regrets them. But they're out, and she can't take them back even if she wanted to. His arms loosen around her waist briefly, as if he's about to let her go. But then he tightens his grip and she feels his warm breath wash across her ear.

"You tell me," he whispers back, voice velvet soft and playful. She relaxes and laughs softly to herself, reminding herself that this is Shadow, and such a question would never faze him.

Still, she doesn't reply and instead leans into his touch, taking a moment to absorb his warmth. She doesn't really know the answer, and even if she did, she doesn't want to say it out loud and risk ruining the moment. She doesn't even think she wants to know. After all, being in an 'official' relationship with anyone could only complicate things.

She hums softly and cranes her neck to look at him. Despite the lightness of his voice, he's watching her closely, as if he too, doesn't really want to know the answer. So she forces a smile and twists so they're face to face, pressing her hands flat against his chest.

"No," she murmurs into his neck. "Not in a million years." She can feel his chuckle in her fingertips as he brings his hands to her head and pulls her close.

"Of course not," he breathes into her hair. And they continue to lay like that, as if they don't have a care in the world.


End file.
